The effect of nitrate and phosphate availability on Emiliania huxleyi physiology under different CO2 scenarios.

Rouco-Molina, Monica, Branson, Oscar, Lebrato, Mario and Iglesias-Rodriguez, Débora (2013) The effect of nitrate and phosphate availability on Emiliania huxleyi physiology under different CO2 scenarios. Open Access Frontiers in Microbiology, 4 (155). DOI 10.3389/fmicb.2013.00155.

[thumbnail of fmicb-04-00155.pdf]
Preview
Text
fmicb-04-00155.pdf - Published Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution.

Download (2MB) | Preview

Supplementary data:

Abstract

Growth and calcification of the marine coccolithophorid Emiliania huxleyi is affected by ocean acidification and macronutrients limitation and its response varies between strains. Here we investigated the physiological performance of a highly calcified E. huxleyi strain, NZEH, in a multiparametric experiment. Cells were exposed to different CO2 levels (ranging from 250 to 1314 μatm) under three nutrient conditions [nutrient replete (R), nitrate limited (-N), and phosphate limited (-P)]. We focused on calcite and organic carbon quotas and on nitrate and phosphate utilization by analyzing the activity of nitrate reductase (NRase) and alkaline phosphatase (APase), respectively. Particulate inorganic (PIC) and organic (POC) carbon quotas increased with increasing CO2 under R conditions but a different pattern was observed under nutrient limitation. The PIC:POC ratio decreased with increasing CO2 in nutrient limited cultures. Coccolith length increased with CO2 under all nutrient conditions but the coccosphere volume varied depending on the nutrient treatment. Maximum APase activity was found at 561 μatm of CO2 (pH 7.92) in -P cultures and in R conditions, NRase activity increased linearly with CO2. These results suggest that E. huxleyi's competitive ability for nutrient uptake might be altered in future high-CO2 oceans. The combined dataset will be useful in model parameterizations of the carbon cycle and ocean acidification.

Document Type: Article
Keywords: Emiliania huxleyi, alkaline phosphatase, calcification, nitrate reductase, nutrients, ocean acidification
Research affiliation: OceanRep > GEOMAR > FB2 Marine Biogeochemistry > FB2-BM Biogeochemical Modeling
Refereed: Yes
Open Access Journal?: Yes
Publisher: Frontiers
Projects: BIOACID, Future Ocean
Date Deposited: 27 Jul 2012 09:37
Last Modified: 23 Sep 2019 20:12
URI: https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/14924

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item